Lubricator.



No. 848.536. PATENTED PEB..5, 1907.

G. W. INGHAM.

LUBRIVGATOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17. 1904.

Geo'ye Wly/m; wir @ma ZMYW- lGEORGE W. INGHAM, OF SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN.

LUBRICATOFLI Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Application iilcd September 17, 1904. Serial No. 224,807.

Zo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. INGHAM, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Sault Ste. Marie, in the county of Chippewa and Statel of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lubricators, of which the following is a speciiicati'on.

This invention relates to lubricators.

As generally constructed the lubricators used upon engines or other machinery are defective in several particulars. One obj ection is that when the cover of the lubricator is removed itis necessary for the oiler eitherto hold said cover in his hand while filling the cup or to place said cover in some convenient position until the lubricator shall have been filled. I .It frequently happens that when the cover is removed from the cup particles ot dirt or other gritty substances adhere thereto and when the cover is replaced said,y dirt or gritty material inds its way into the oil-cup, where it adulterates the oil and frequently causes overheating of the vbearings or boxings. A further objection to lubricators as generally constructed is that when the cover has been removed from the oil-cup great diiiiculty is experienced often in replacing lit while the machinery is in operation, as the jar, vibration, and pressure of the engine or other machinery render it difficult to register the threads of the cover with the threads of the oil-cup In attempting to force the cover upon thecup the threads are liable to become crossed, thus destroying the useful-y whereby it is necessary frequently to refill the cupor else to fill it once, screw down the compressor-cover until part of. the lubricant lis forced into the passages leading to the bearings, removethe cover again, and refill the oil-cup, which operation of course consumes time and labor.

The object of the present invention is to .improve the construction of lubricators in such manner that the compressor element may be separated readily from the cup and held in suspended position thereovervwhile refilling the device. v

A 'further object of the invention is to hold the compressor element always in operative relation with respect to the cup or base element, whereby when it is screwed toward the base element its threads will be guided into accurate register with' the threads of the said base element.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, the figure is a vertical central section of a lubricator constructed in accordance with the invention.

. In said drawing the reference-numeral 1 indicates the base element of the improved lubricator. said base element consisting, preferably, of a cup having internal screwthreads, such as 2. The base element 1 is formed with a plurality of passages 3, merging into a single passage 4, which leads to the bearingsorboxings that are to be lubricated.

l By providing a plurality of passages 3, mergingrinto a single passage/l, the liability of the lubricator becoming clogged by bits of waste or the like which may be contained in the lubricant is lessened, as it' is improbable that both-of the passages 3 will become blocked at the lsame time. At its lower endthe base element 1 is formed with screw-threads 5,-by means of which it may be attached to the machinery which is to be lubricated and with an annular enlargement or collar 6. Secured to the base element 1 in any suitable manner or formed lintegral therewith is a sup orting element 7, on which is mounted the s.eeve 8 of the compressor element 9, said compressor -element 9 being longitudinally adjustable upon the supporting element 7 in any suitable manner, as by means of thescrewthreads 10. The periphery of the compressor element 9 is screw-threaded, as shown at 11, in ord-er to cooperate with the screw-threads 2 of the base element. At its upper end the sleeve 8 of the compressor element 9 is formed with a handle 12, in which is formed a bore 13, closed by a screw-plug 14. Disposed in the bore 13 is a coil-spring 15, which serves normally to force a follower 16 against the threads of the supporting element 7, in order to prevent the compressorV element 9 from chattering loose. Surrounding the sleeve 8 of the compressor element 9 isfa IOO cover 17 which is formed with an annular l,

groove 18, adapted to fit the upper end of the ase element 1. The cover 17 is held normall. upon the base element 1 by means of a coil-spring 19. Wlfich bears at its lowerend against .the said cover and at its upper end against the handle112. The supporting'element 7 is Jformed with a longitudinal bore and is also screw-thread ed at its upper inner end,

\ in which is mounted a needle-valve 20, the

lower pointed end 21 of which is adapted to cooperate with a cone-shapedfvalveseat 22,

4formed at the upper end of the passage 4.

formed with a central bore 26, which is open to the atmosphere at its upper end and terminates in lateral passages 27 at its lower end. When the needle-valve is moved to its owest osition, the lateral passages'27 are adapted) in the supporting element. 7.

Constructed as above described the pperation of the improved lubricator is as follows: When the lubricator is in operation, the needle-valve 20 is in raised position, so that the lateral passages 27 are out of register with the lateral passages 28, and the pointed end 21 of said valve'is located away from the valve-seat 22. For this reason as the handle 12 is rotated periodically to screw the com presser element 9 toward the base element 1 ubricating material is forced throughthe passages 3 3 and 4 into the bearings or boxmgs until the lubricator becomes empty. Thel needle-valve 20 is then screwed down to close the passage 4 and to bring the lateral .5

passages 27 and 28 intoregister with each other. For this reason when the compressor element 9 is rotated in reverse direction to move it away from the bjase element 1 air is permitted .to enter through the bore 26 and 'passages 27' and 28 to destroy any vacuum which may be created in the lubricator. Furthermore, the needle-valve prevents any lubricating'material from being sucked back through the passage 4. after it has been once fed to the bearings. It will be, understood that the coil-,spring 19 maintains the cover` 17 upon the base element 1 until the compresser element 9 abuts against said cover, after which the continued reverse rotation of the compressor element causes the cover to be raised along with sai`d compressor element until sufficient space has been left above the to register with similar passages 28 base element to permit it to be filled with lui vbricating.material1 it being understood that the compressor element 9 is not screwed entirely off the supporting element 7, but is simply held thereby in suspended 'position above the base element` 1, this operation being rendered possible by reason of the fact that' the. supporting element 7 is of greater length than the base element 1. In addition to its function of holding the compressor element 9 in suspended position above the base element 1,' and thus avoiding thenecessity of holding' said' compressor in the hand or of placing it where particles of dirt or grit may adhere thereto; the supporting element 7 also serves the important function of' guiding the threads of the compressor element accu rately into register With the threads of the base element after the device has been lled, whereby any'danger of crossing and ruining the threads of the two elements as the result of the vibration or pressure of the machinery is avoided.

The cover 17 is employed to revent the screw-threads 2 from ecoming c ogged with dust and dirt, and said screw-threads 2 are employed in order to stren then the connection between the base an compressor elements, so that pressure Vin the machinery will not injuriously affect the lubricator. Furthermore, by employing the screw-threads 2 it is possible to form a tighter joint between the compressor element 9 and the base element, although, if desired, said screw-threads 2 may be omitted.

When the sleeve of the compressor element 9 is in a raised position t extend above the operating-handle 25 of the valve-stem, the valve-sterncan be adjusted by means of a suitable keyfsuch as are used in turning the valves of street .water-boxes.

-Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is V 1. A lubricator comprising a base element, a compressor element, and a supporting element connected with said base and compressor elements,l the length of the sup ortlng element being such as to permit the ase andI com ressor elements to be se arated- Without osing their engagement with the supporting element. 2. A lubricator comprising a threaded base element, a threaded compressor element, and a threaded supporting element connected with said elements, the length ofthe supporting element being such as to permit the base and compressor elements to be separated IIO from each other Without losing their engag'ey ment with the supporting element.

3. A lubricator comprising a base element, a ,compressorelement, and a threaded supporting element connected with said base land compressorV elements, the length of the supporting element being greater than the combined lengths of said base land'comrated from each other without losing their engagement with the supporting element.

4. A luhrieator comprising a hase element,

a compresser element, a supporting element Connected with said hase and compressor elements, the length of said supporting element being such as to permit the hase and eonii pressor elements to be separated from each other Without losing their engagement with the supporting element, and inea-ns for destroying a vacuum between said hase and-` compressor elements.

5. A lubrleator comprising a hase element, a supporting element, a compressor element having a sleeve, a cover surrounding said sleeve and adapted to engage said hase element, and means for maintalnlng said' @over normally in position upon said hase element. 6. A lubrlcator comprising a hase element, f

having a plurality of passages merging into a l single passage formed with avalve-seat, a. supporting element having a here formed e with lateral' passages, a needle-valve in said here adapted te coperate with said valveseat, and having a central here. formed with lateral passages adapted to register with the lateral passages of the supporting member, a compressor element having a sleeve surrounding the supporting element, a handle on the sleeve, a spring-pressed follower in the handle hearing against the supporting element, a Cover surrounding the sleeve and having an annular groove to lit the hase element, and a coil-spring surrounding the sleeve and bearing against the handle and the eover.

ln testimony whereof l alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WV. INGHAM. vWitnesses: WILLIAM MAXWELL, JNO. A; KERK. 

